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Conical Petrified Wood Pendant Designing with a circular stone By Lexi Erickson

nthropologically speaking (bear with me as the old archaeology professor surfacesA for a minute), circles are Skills symbolic of so much. n sawing At a recent gem show I n filing attended, a group of jewelry n advanced artists and I were sitting around n stone setting discussing — of all things — our n finishing techniques recently purchased treasures. As we discussed shapes, colors, Time it Took and favorite materials, one about 4 hours woman spoke of her distaste for round and oval stones. Some designers feel ovals and Opening Photo: Jim Lawson; PROJECT Photos: Mark Erickson circles are overdone and trite. I disagree. Circles are magic. Materials Tools Think of the life giving force of Ultra fine Sharpie pen Hand tools: saw frame and 2/0 the sun, and the mystical feminine Glue stick blades, flat nose , round nose pliers, rawhide mallet, shears, round power of the moon. The ancient 22-gauge sterling : 2.25" x 6" mandrel ouroborus, a mythical snake (one 6" end must be straight) Layout tools: straight edge chasing its tail, is found in many One 3mm-5mm premade Soldering tools: torch, solder cultures, and could be a symbol tube setting Solder: easy, medium, and hard pick, flux, soldering pad, of today’s lifestyle. The spiritual pickle, soldering tweezers, pickle pot One 3-5 mm faceted stone kivas of the Southwest are and pickle, brush One round stone circular. Early human homes were Other tools: flex shaft or Dremel, circles, and in some places they BurLife Lasco cylinder CL95/400, still are. The center of the home, 30, 15, and 9 micron 3M finishing film prong setter, tube setting burnishers the hearth, was and is a circle. Tea Liver of sulfur (optional) is served in circular cups, to your Pumice circle of friends. My yellow tabby Optional: 16-gauge solder rod curls into a cozy circle to sleep. Let’s face it: square Oreos would Sources be just plain wrong! Tools & Materials: Most of the tools and materials for this project will be available from well stocked jewelry supply vendors, The stone I’ve used here is not many of whom can be found in our Advertisers’ Index, page 78. only circular but conical and was Conical cabochon: Gary B. Wilson Stones, www.garywilsonstones.com cut from petrified wood. Lasco diamond cylinder: Lasco Diamond Products, www.lascodiamond.com/products 16-gauge solder rod: Allcraft Tools, 212-279-7077

23 Conical Petrified Wood Pendant, Journal Jewelry Artist February 2010 february 2010 ©Interweave Press LLC. Not to be reprinted. All rights reserved. More Projects at: http://www.interweavestore.com/Beading-Jewelry/Projects.html

LPJF-100202-023-3.indd 23 12/16/09 11:44:46 AM Photo 1 Draw or scribe a pattern onto the silver directly, or cut out a paper pattern and glue it on the metal with 1 a glue stick. Photo 2 Allow enough of a lip, which will be sawn off later, around the stone to set the bezel. Saw out the back plate and overlays. the edges. Set the overlays aside. Hallmark the back of the back plate with your initials and quality stamp. Measure 3.5mm up from the bottom of the sterling sheet and mark with a straight edge. This will become your bezel strip. Saw along the mark to create a very thin strip. This doesn’t have to be a perfectly straight 2 3 cut, as you will be “upsetting” the top edge of the strip later with a diamond bur. Photo 3 Fit the bezel around the stone and file the ends flat. A guillotine cutter will make this process so much easier. A bench shear will not necessarily give you an even cut. When you are buying your silver, your salesman may cut this strip for you, if you ask nicely. 22ga silver flat wire will also work. 5 Use the 30-micron grit 3M finishing film to sand the top and bottom of the larger piece, which will become the ! back plate. Sand the overlay pieces with the 15-micron paper, and SOLDER mark an X with a Sharpie on the top of the pieces. The Sharpie marks will prevent you from accidentally melt- OFF THE ing solder on the wrong side of the piece. Set aside.

STICK Check the fit of the bezel, and ensure there is a clean I recently purchased some butt join. Solder closed with hard solder. Pickle and 4 16ga solder rod from Allcraft rinse. Double check the shape and fit of the bezel with Tools. It’s much easier to use the stone and make sure the bezel is flat on the bottom. when “soldering from the Photo 4 Round out the bezel with a round mandrel. stick.” If a bit of solder should with a rawhide mallet to work-harden the be- Jewelry artist

)( drop and melt onto the back zel. This will help it keep its shape.

plate, keep the flame on the Don’t have a round mandrel? An old wooden baseball solder drop until it flows, bat will work just as well. then pull it around the bezel with the flame. Remember, Photo 5 Solder the bezel to the back plate using medium solder. solder flows in the direction of the heat. Melt 4 or 5 pieces of medium solder onto the back of the overlays to sweat solder them. Pickle and rinse. lapidary journal lapidary

24 Conical Petrified Wood Pendant, Lapidary Journal Jewelry Artist February 2010 ©Interweave Press LLC. Not to be reprinted. All rights reserved. More Projects at: http://www.interweavestore.com/Beading-Jewelry/Projects.html

LPJF-100202-023-3.indd 24 12/16/09 11:45:07 AM 6 7 8

Photo 6 Place the overlay pieces on top of the back Hold a Lasco diamond cylinder bur parallel to the top of plate, not touching the bezel. the bezel and go around the top edge lightly, creating a At the same time, I soldered a small premade gold tube decorative, scalloped edge. set on the top of the overlay pieces. Place a 1mm piece Warm the piece under hot water, and either paint on or of medium solder inside the tube set and heat every- dip into liver of sulfur. Brass brush the piece until you get thing at the same time. Pickle and rinse. a finish you like. Repeat as necessary. Photo 7 Cut a piece of scrap silver with shears for a Photo 8 Set the cabochon into the round bezel and bail. File the edges and bend with round nose pliers. lightly push the bezel around the stone with the prong Fit on the back or decorative plate. Solder, pickle, pusher. It does not have to push over like a bezel wire, and rinse. because the sterling sheet will hold the stone tighter than fine silver bezel wire would. Set the faceted stone in the premade tube set. Close with a bezel pusher or with tube-setting burnishers. Bur- nish the setting by rotating the burnisher in a clockwise/ counterclockwise motion. Sometimes the seat of the tube set needs to be cleaned with the appropriate size setting bur. Dip the bur in lubricant before cutting and cleaning the seat. Finish by sanding the overlay pieces with 3M 9 micron finishing film.

LEXI ERICKSON lives in Highlands Ranch, Colorado. She has taught jewelry at the high school and college levels for 23 years. Check out her website and teaching blog at www.LexiErickson Designs.com.

Decorative Back Plate MEET THE AUTHORLET US INSPIRE At this point, you may design a decorative back plate on which to @ BEAD FEST! the Artist in You set your bail, or you may set the bail directly upon the back plate Bead Fest Santa Fe From cover to cover, Jewelry Artist brings of the piece without the additional decorative accent. Solder, pickle, March 2010 you unique jewelry and gem projects in an Beadfest.com and rinse. easy-to-follow format. interweave.com/go/bdja

Conical Petrified Wood Pendant, Lapidary Journal Jewelry Artist February 2010 ©Interweave Press LLC. Not to be reprinted. All rights reserved. february 2010 25 More Projects at: http://www.interweavestore.com/Beading-Jewelry/Projects.html

LPJF-100202-023-3.indd 25 12/21/09 12:10:37 PM